Utah Paper Box configures a first-of-its-kind ROLAND 700

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Press release from the issuing company

Salt Lake City, Utah — A deep breath is required before describing the configuration of Utah Paper Box’s new ROLAND 700. The press begins with a printing unit, followed by a perfector, an inline coating unit, and a double drying extension. Then six more printing units appear, followed by second in-line coating unit and yet another double extension for drying.
But Utah Paper Box customers are also breathing easier thanks to this first-of-its-kind offset system. It equips the facility to meet its clients’ high-end packaging needs in a single, productive pass. That makes UPB’s Rigid, Folding, and Litho Laminate products more affordable, and allows the packaging provider to more aggressively go after new business.
The unique 700 was built by MAN Roland, but its configuration is the creation of Utah Paper Box’s top executive team — Owner Paul Keyser, Vice President of Sales Steve Keyser, and Vice President of Operations Mike Salazar.
“We began configuring the press the way we wanted after visiting Drupa last year,” says Salazar. “We saw a lot of applications at that show being done in one pass, which would have required multiple passes in our plant, or which we could not do at all. It took us six months to refine our design. This press is unique in North America and is tailored to keep us competitive now and take us to new applications in the future.”
The ROLAND 700 is available in more configurations and versions than any other sheetfed press in the industry, according to a recent statistical analysis by MAN Roland, which identified 3,150 versions of the 41-inch press.
“The most effective action printers can take to win new business is by differentiating themselves from the rest of the pack,” says Rick Parks, General Manager of MAN Roland’s Western Region for sheetfed operations. “That’s why we’re offering so many unique versions of the ROLAND 700, in addition to our bread-and-butter configurations. We’ll build it to conform to any printer’s specifications.”
The specifications of Utah Paper Box’s new 700 lets it produce a wide gamut of upscale packaging. Consumer electronics, cosmetics, and high-end confectionary packaging are all on the ROLAND 700’s agenda. Also: any customers who need UV protection, perfecting, or special effects to make their packaging stand out are candidates for the new press. It can print using UV inks, hybrid inks, flexographic inks, and regular IR inks. “It will run almost anything,” Salazar says. “It has over half a million dollars of drying equipment beyond what a regular press would have.”
With the addition of this ROLAND 700, which replaces some older cylinder presses, Utah Paper Box became an all-MAN Roland facility. The company also runs seven-color ROLAND 700 and 900 presses. Both are equipped with inline coating and all of its presses are color controlled by MAN Roland’s ColorPilot spectrophotometry. “This gets us a truer color and helps us maintain consistency throughout the run,” says Steve Keyser.
As the new 700 was being installed, MAN Roland updated the two existing presses with the latest version of the Printnet PECOM operating and automation system. That lets UPB network all of its presses to take advantage of the productivity and flexibility of Computer Integrated Manufacturing CIM. “PECOM saves at least a half an hour per makeready, sometimes more,” Paul Keyser notes. “The quicker the makeready, the faster the job goes through the plant, and the sooner we are ready to go to the next job. We have added specific equipment to both coaters to improve makereadies, and insure consistency in coatings.”
All three presses are also equipped with MAN Roland’s TelePresence remote diagnosis system, which recently won the 2005 InterTech Award from GATF/PIA. The system eliminates the need for most service calls by providing a live Internet link between the press’ operating system and MAN Roland’s Rapid Response Team. The MAN Roland experts can literally phone in repair and maintenance instructions, so UPB press operators can get the presses up and running quickly.
Since installing TelePresence, Utah Paper Box has enjoyed bulletproof performance from its MAN Roland presses. But the company did get the chance to experience the company’s technicians in action during the installation. “We are very satisfied with MAN Roland service,” says Paul Keyser. “It’s another reason is why we chose MAN Roland.”
MAN Roland also took care of all necessary training. “There are techniques in printing effects and capabilities which this press has that are different from our other presses,” Salazar explains.
Steve Keyser describes his new machine as an 11-unit press, adding up all of its inline features. “We plan to offer this press’s capabilities to current customers and to seek new customers who need high-end one-pass solutions,” he declares. “The higher quality you can produce in a short turn around, with capabilities of Rigid, Folding, and Litho Lam, at a competitive price, attracts new customers.”
“This is a good example of creating a press to meet the demands of a specific marketplace,” says Paul Borkowski, District Sales Manager for MAN Roland Inc. “We worked closely with Utah Paper Box to make certain they got the unique configuration they required, while ensuring that their new press would network with their existing MAN Rolands.”